


halloween for dream things

by renlybaratheon



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Fluff, Halloween, M/M, Opal's first Halloween, Some OCs included, long distance, post trk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 11:25:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12409425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renlybaratheon/pseuds/renlybaratheon
Summary: Set a year after the events of TRK, Adam's off at Harvard and Ronan decides to celebrate Opal's first Halloween.





	halloween for dream things

**Author's Note:**

> this actually started from a prompt over a year ago, and i finally finished it one year later! just in time for actual halloween!  
> enjoy

Last fall, Halloween happened way too soon after everything went down that Ronan didn't have it in him to acknowledge it, still in mourning over Aurora and Noah, what almost happened to Adam, and what did and then what didn't happen to Gansey. It was a lot. He remembered seeing the decorations and almost crying, possibly even smashing in a jack o' lantern or two out of spite.

One year later it was around Halloween time again, and growing up it was one of Aurora's favorite events of the year so he knew he had to celebrate it just right. For her.

When stores started decorating in the theme, Opal tugged on Ronan's jacket and asked him, "Why are the pumpkins grinning at me? Creepy."

"You're creepy, brat," he replied tartly. She stepped on his foot. "It's Halloween, a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Everyone dresses up for one night as anything we want, and we get to pretend to be whoever we want."

"I like being me," she said, nervously reaching for a skull decoration at eye level. It was electronic and reacted to her touch with a haunted laugh. Opal screeched and clung tighter to Ronan's side.

"It's not real," he said, bending down to pick it up himself. She was shaking when he lifted it off the shelf. "Fake, see? None of this can hurt you. It's a trick."

Opal gently reached out, hesitant to believe Ronan that the object was safe. When her hand was close enough to activate the noise again she froze. "You promise?"

"I promise," he said. "I won't let the plastic head hurt you."

She sensed the sarcasm in his tone and punched his leg with her tiny hand. He barely felt it and laughed, watching with a warm feeling inside him when she grabbed the skull and stuck her tongue out at it.

"I want to be Adam for Halloween," she said. "I love Adam."

Ronan's chest ached. He loved Adam, too, and being apart like this was painful on the days one of them was too busy to talk to the other. The last few nights Adam had papers to write and projects to finish, and so all he heard from him was a simple "I miss you, too, asshole. Let me study."

Suddenly he realized Adam was going to be too busy with school to celebrate Halloween together, and his stomach turned into knots.

"It doesn't work that way, kid," he grunted, mood poorer than a minute ago. "You can't be Adam for Halloween."

"That's sexist," said Opal, already familiarizing herself with the less lively objects on the shelf. She touched at glitter covered plastic jack o' lanterns, giggling when she pulled her hands away and the glitter remained.

"You hang out with Sargent and her coven too much," he moaned. "I mean, you can't be him because he's a real person, and it just-- it wouldn't make sense."

This did not please Opal and she pouted. "I want to be Adam," she said. "That's my custom."

"Costume," Ronan corrected. Opal rolled her eyes.

"Whatever."

She was too much like him sometimes it made him grate his teeth. As the night went on, Ronan helping try to procure her a costume that screamed "Adam Parrish", while also looking for something himself, he got an idea in his head about Halloween and suddenly he was excited again.

 

\---

 

Waiting for the video chat to be accepted was always a briefly agonizing experience, even though Ronan knew almost always Adam would accept it, even if it were to say "I'm studying. Call me later."

He knew he was bugging him, but just to see his face even for five seconds was enough to satisfy him the rest of the week.

"Lynch, I'm studying," Adam said immediately upon answering. He looked good, hair messy but exactly like how Ronan liked it, sitting at his desk with the light from his computer illuminating his face with harsh shadows. He was tired, head being held up by his hand, but Ronan knew this was a different tired than all those years he wore himself thin in Henrietta.

"Five minutes," said Ronan.

It was evident he was reading a book, or trying at least, eyes cast down and attention deferred. When Adam didn't say anything Ronan thought he fucked up, that he made him mad calling when he knew he was studying. Then his eyes tilted up to meet Ronan's and he sighed, shutting his book. The camera jerked around as Adam moved it. For a long moment all Ronan could see was Adam's chin and throat, stubble growing in and a very visible swallow. After a bit more shuffling he could see he was lying down on his bed, the computer resting on his bed.

"You have ten minutes."

"Oh, ten?" Ronan tilted into the camera on his laptop. He was laying in his bed, too, the computer on his chest. He purposefully did not wear a shirt for this. Adam was eyeing that part of the screen, he could tell. "Whatever did I do to deserve _ten_ _whole_ _minutes_ of Adam Parrish's precious time?" Ronan said, tilting the screen a little to take his focus back to his face.

Adam wasn't having it tonight. "Goodbye, Lynch." He started to shut his laptop closed, and Ronan felt a knee jerk reaction to fix this.

"Opal's going to be you for Halloween," he said in one quick breath.

The camera raised up again, and on his screen Adam was clearly startled by this news. "She what?"

Not where Ronan wanted this conversation to go exactly, but to talk to him at all, to see him light up at the faint mention of Opal or him, made him feel lighter inside.

"I asked her what she wanted to be for Halloween, explaining how you can be anyone and anything you want for that one night, and she said you." Ronan watched as Adam responded with a subtle sniffle. Even though the picture was not very clear, and part of Adam's face was dark from the lack of light in the room, he could swear he saw water in Adam's eyes. "I said it didn't work that way, but she still wanted it to be you."

Sitting further up, Adam cut his face off in the camera for a moment. Ronan could hear him clear his throat, touching at his face. "That's...." Adam sat further up. Clearing his throat. His voice was a little shaky. "That's really cute." Slowly his face pulled into view again, looking down at Ronan with a concerned look. "Are you making this up?"

"Why the fuck would I make this up?" Ronan crossed his arms across his chest as Adam rolled his eyes. "I tried to get her to be something else, like a pirate or an astronaut or something cool. But she wanted to be you."

" 'Something cool.' Fuck you, Lynch." Adam was grinning anyway, rubbing at his eyes. The simple gesture of his real and vibrant smile was enough to warm Ronan's insides forever.

He struggled not to say how much he missed him, that he was desperately counting down the days until Thanksgiving break, that he wished and hoped he could see Adam sooner even though he knew he had school. Instead, Ronan held his tongue. Instead, he watched him on the other end of the call, breathing and living and smiling. He then rolled his eyes at something, glancing back in Ronan's direction.

"I'm afraid to ask," he said, and he squinted, "but how will you make her look like me, exactly?"

"That's a surprise," Ronan said, smirking as he watched Adam show his dislike for that response.

Adam groaned. "Great."

Ronan chuckled, leaning in to examine Adam'a mess of hair and bags under his eyes. He was worn out, but he filled his shirts out more than when he left, he may have been tired but it wasn't the constant running exhaustion he had here. College looked good on him. But he still missed him.

"How's studying going?" Ronan thought to ask. He realized he was properly distracting him from it now.

"I have one last project to do and then I'm free the next few weeks." At that, Adam proudly stretched his arms above his head, in such a way and with the camera angled just right Ronan fantasized a little too deeply watching his shirt ride up and his muscles twitch. When his hands came back down, he started twisting his neck this way and that, and Ronan was annoyed he wasn't there. "How's the farm going? What have you been doing?" Adam asked in turn. He finished distracting Ronan long enough he was able to concentrate on the room around him, empty as it were. The sheets were cold where he wasn't lying, void of that second body he had gotten attached to sharing his bed with.

This phone call was only making him pine more.

"Other than working with the new cows, I managed to wake one of the dream ones up today for an hour," he said proudly. His smile waned when he added, "But then it went right back to sleep, and now it's outside. So, fuck my life I guess."

Adam laughed. If he could bottle that sound and keep it with him forever he would. "That's progress, though, right?" he said.

"It is." Ronan stretched out to a more comfortable position on the bed, wishing he wasn't coming up against air. "But the real cows are extremely confused by it. I shouldn't have left the barn door open."

"You'll figure it out." Adam then squinted again, more at himself this time. "I'm... proud of you...?"

"Are you asking me if you're proud of me?" Ronan snorted.

"I didn't want to sound too sentimental." A little agitated, Adam huffed, wiping his face with his hands until he spread his sleeplessness across his whole face. "I'm tired. Leave me alone."

Ronan could only grin, laughing low and quiet. He touched at the screen where Adam was, wishing he was physically present so he could touch him for real. With a yawn, he mimicked Adam's movements from before and stretched his own arms high above his head. Adam's eyes dropped, and he caught them drop, to see what he assumed was his waist or elsewhere close. There was longing present in his face as well when Ronan moved the computer better to see, finding it an absolute delight to see Adam run his tongue across his lips. When he looked back up at Ronan, he could see that mutual ache staring back.

"It's been a while, you know, since we....." His voice went softer toward the end, then trailed into complete silence. Like it were a secret or something. Ronan almost mocked him for the lack of saying sex out loud, but also he didn't want to get cockblocked by his own mouth.

Instead he put a hand to his cheek in fake surprise. "Has it?" he said. "I hadn't noticed."

Four days and ten hours, but who was counting?

"Asshole." In response, Adam shook his head. His hair was getting longer, the bangs getting into his eyes. He swept them back with a hand. Ronan's eyes lingered on that hand a second.

"Is Opal in your room?" Adam said, speaking lowly like he suspected she was.

"Would I fucking be facetiming you if she was?" Ronan replied.

Instead of rolling his eyes. Adam smiled, chewing teasingly on his lower lip.

"Bobby is out at the library all night," he said.

"Fuck." Ronan was surprised at how eager Adam was being. Then again, Adam tended to initiate the sex they had most of the time, especially over the phone like this. "Okay." His mouth was getting a little dry from the nervousness. Not that he and Adam weren't familiar in this area, because god they'd been dating a year now almost to the day (next week, but who's keeping track?) but each time it felt like the first, and it was more nerve racking handling Adam’s suggestions over the internet like this, because of how awkward it was. He missed the act of touching him, of being able to smell him and taste him, but this did fine enough. He would suffer through this as often as he had to.

“I want to see your face this time,” Adam insisted, his voice getting raspier with the desire so vocal. “I miss you.”

Ronan could feel his face getting hotter, as he watched Adam started to take off his shirt.

“Fuck, you're getting all sentimental again, Parrish,” he murmured. His eyes caught sight of the time in the upper right corner of his screen, and he smirked. “Hey, aren't my ten minutes up?” he said.

“Shut up and take off your pants, Ronan,” Adam said. He sounded breathless already.

“So bossy.” But Ronan did as he was told.

 

\-----------

 

After it was over, they were both laying on their sides, Adam having switched to his phone and Ronan's bed large enough he was able to set his laptop there. Adam remained shirtless afterward, teasing him with his collarbone and freckles that went everywhere. Missing Adam was different than the way he missed his friends. Missing Adam felt like being homesick, even though he was technically home. Since they started dating home had changed its definition in his vocabulary, to mean Opal and Adam and not this house he grew up in. Missing Adam felt like missing a limb, and he ached for him every goddamn day. Feeling this way, Ronan touched at the screen at Adam's sleepy face. His eyes were slowly drooping closed, the circles under them so dark.

“Sorry I interrupted your studies,” he said, pretending he was feeling Adam’s warm skin under his hand instead of cold metal.

“’S okay.” Adam yawned into the back of his hand, staring back at him with eyes that weren’t wholly focused. Sometimes Ronan still had the nightmares, even now, and Adam would call him up and talk to him, talk him through them until Ronan fell back asleep to dream of only his voice. He supposed this was the way Adam got his best night’s sleeps, when they talked like this. God, he loved him. “I needed a break. I'm glad you called. I've missed talking to you.”

“Sentimental…..” Ronan wished he could be holding Adam’s face and not his computer screen. “I missed you, too. Fuck, it's too quiet here without you.”

Adam looked more awake when he gave him a look that was calling him a liar.

“Opal is not quiet,” he argued.

“At night, I mean,” Ronan corrected. For a moment Adam reflected back at him what Ronan felt inside, which was in simplest terms heartache. He corrected his expression fast, no longer looking sleepy at all, as he looked at something off screen. “On nights she doesn't have nightmares it feels strange without you here.”

Adam shifted around on his end of the conversation, and he looked down a second before looking back up. His eyes were still sad, even if he tried to hide it in the rest of his face. 

“It'll be Thanksgiving before you know it, and then winter break,” he said. “You'll survive.”

What Ronan knew he was really saying was _we’ll survive_. He knew how hard this was on both of them, how Adam did his very best not to cry from the stress the first month of school when they were on the phone, how he admitted a week into the school year he wasn’t sure he could do this long distance thing and Ronan somehow found himself having to be the one to talk Adam off the figurative ledge when he thought he was going to be the one to break down crying on the phone first. He knew all of that, and so he played along as if he didn’t.

“When can I come see you next?” he said, resting his chin in his hand as he stared longingly at Adam’s tired face. He wanted to kiss each and every freckle on it like he’d done dozens of times before, just to make him smile. To think a year ago this was all still a fantasy, and now it was his whole world.

The suggestion of another visit wasn’t lost on Adam, and he smiled at the idea long enough Ronan took a screenshot the way he taught him to. He was suddenly eager to talk about it.

“I’ll have to check my schedule for that,” he said, chipper than he was a moment ago. “I’ll let you know tomorrow.”

“Okay,” said Ronan, and he smiled too.

As Adam started to drift again, Ronan began to excitedly plan in his head what it was they would do when he came to visit again. Last time Ronan was there was when he dropped Adam off, and they spent the majority of the trip helping Adam unpack and then saying their goodbyes again and again before they had to resort to this.

"Our anniversary is next week," Adam said, dragging Ronan from his thoughts. He was sitting up on his end, running a hand through his mess of a mane, still shirtless.

"I remember when my birthday is, thank you," Ronan replied. He hid a yawn by swiping his hand down his face, because he knew if Adam caught him he would suggest the call end now, and Ronan was stubborn.

"I wish I could see you," Adam said, and his gaze drifted downward as he chewed on his lower lip. Ronan ached. "I got you a gift, you know. It's just a card but-"

"You didn't have to," he said quick, softening at the thought that Adam spent his well earned money on him. The dick had done it a few times before, but every time surprised him, knowing how hard he worked for it. " _This_ is enough," he reasoned.

"I know, but...." Adam sighed, and he looked up again, finding Ronan's gaze to hold across state lines. He held it a long while, until Ronan was he one to break and rub carefully at his eye. He wasn't crying. It just got very dusty all of a sudden. "It's sort of a small thank you, too, for everything."

"Jeez, if I knew you were going to get sappy like this I would've mentioned the anniversary sooner,” Ronan teased, and Adam flashed him the middle finger.

“Don't be an asshole,” he said, grouchily. “I know it's hard, but you can try.”

Their usual banter was his favorite, as Ronan then rolled his eyes like he always did, and Adam’s turned down lips twisted back up again into a winning, sleepy smile. The both of them were clearly struggling not to get too emotional, otherwise this call was soon to be like their first one after Ronan left Adam to kick ass at college. Ronan cried, and Adam cried, though they both acted like idiots and pretended they weren’t. Opal kissed his tears off his cheeks after the phone call was over and told him to stop leaking.

“You’re the one I should be thanking,” Ronan confessed, and Adam looked to agree.

“True,” he said with a playful shrug, “but my birthday was months ago.”

Ronan rolled his eyes again, and tried not to laugh too loud or else he risked waking up Opal down the hall.

“Asshole,” he said with a smile. “What are you doing for Halloween?” he then thought to ask, figuring now was a good a time in the conversation as any. “Are you free?”

He knew asking Adam to visit in the middle of his semester was asking too much, but he figured it didn’t hurt to at least see if he was free for something. Even if it was to video chat, it was better than nothing. Opal would be satisfied with just about anything.

“I don’t know,” Adam admitted. Even though Ronan didn’t ask anything of him yet, he could already see Adam getting uncomfortable with the subject, like he was about to try to drag him home. But then that look washed away when he stretched, a laborious effort that Ronan felt was more for his benefit than anything, and then Adam was running his hand through his hair again. His eyes squinted into the screen. “What day of the week does it fall on this year?”

He looked almost hopeful that he wouldn’t be busy, and Ronan was smiling again as he tried to remember.

“Tuesday, I think.”

Adam then frowned, and Ronan followed not long after. “I don’t think I can make it,” he sighed. “I have class Tuesday afternoons.”

“I could….” Ronan shut his eyes, trying to phrase it in a way that wouldn’t potentially put Adam off. “I mean, I know you don’t _have_ to come up, and that you’re busy with school, and that this is an outrageous offer but…. I could buy you a plane ticket.”

Adam was silent. Even through video like this, he could see his mind working away. He was probably going to say no. It was too much, too expensive, just a weekend visit and just for Halloween. Ronan wasn’t going to argue if he said no, because he understood; it sucked, but he understood.

“Yeah, okay,” Adam sighed.

“Wait, really?” Ronan grinned.

Adam nodded. “It's Opal's first Halloween,” he said. “I would like to be there. I didn't get too many of them as a kid. I don't want to miss any of hers. Besides, it'll be right after your birthday and our anniversary, so it'll be three reasons to come.”

Suddenly Ronan was wide awake and in top spirits. He felt his cheeks burn from the size of his smile. Mirroring him, Adam seemed to smile wider too.

“Well, I mean, if a plane ticket is too much Opal and I can come visit you instead—“

“I already agreed, Ronan,” Adam groaned.

“It won't get in the way of school?” Ronan thought to ask. “You don't still have exams around that time?”

“Do you want me to come or not?” Adam was grumpy and tired, and Ronan’s self-doubt wasn’t helping him any. He spoke curtly, understandably getting annoyed.

“I do!” Ronan said quick. “I definitely do!” He was grinning again, almost made breathless by the fact he was going to see Adam again in person in just a couple weeks. His heart was racing. “Fuck, well now you have to wear a costume too.”

“Who made up that rule?” Adam raised one eyebrow higher than the other, suspicious of his intent.

“Opal made me get one, so it's only fair you get one too,” he countered. “I can dream one for you if you want. That's what I did for mine. It's pretty cool.”

“Can I see?” Adam tilted his head off to one side, giving him a far more seductive glance than he should when talking about Halloween costumes. It was a mixture of being tired and homesick, he was sure of that, and he reached and touched his screen again at Adam’s bedroom eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be going to bed?” Ronan realized it was very late, and if he wasn’t careful he wasn’t going to get any sleep by the time Opal was up and vying for attention. Already he pissed off Chainsaw enough that she was moving about his room threatening to peck at things.

“Mm,” Adam shook his head while squinting. “No. I have another couple hours of work to do.” Ronan didn’t like that he still didn’t give himself enough time to sleep sometimes even now. “Don’t look at me like that, Lynch. I would’ve finished by now if it weren’t for you.”

Reluctantly, he accepted that was true and fair. He touched the screen again, running along the line of Adam’s collar bone. His own eyes were feeling heavy with the mention of sleep, and he didn’t want to accidentally pass out before the end of the call again.

“I’ll show you when you get here,” he said, starting to drift. He gave in to a yawn and watched as Adam clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth to the sight. "What do you want to be for Halloween?" he said, still yawning.

"I’ll think about it," Adam replied, and he started to pull on his mouth like he sometimes did when he was getting lost in his head.

"I’ll tell Opal you’re coming," he said, and he pillowed his cheek in his arms, starting to feel his eyes fighting him to stay open. "Little maggot’s going to be so fucking happy."

"Mm. I’m glad." Adam smiled, from what he could catch when his eyes remained open long enough. He sighed, moving to find a shirt. Ronan knew this was the end of the call. "I should let you go. You're getting that sleepy voice I like. I’ll talk to you later." He paused in his search to look back at his phone. "I love you."

Each time Adam said the words they gave Ronan goosebumps, and he belatedly repeated them back at Adam acting casual before hanging up the call.

“I love you too,” he said, his voice edging on a squeak. He loved him very much.

He slept with the intent of finding Adam a costume that night.

 

\--------

 

Ronan spent his birthday with Opal and Matthew, as Declan was too busy at work and everyone else was gone. He dropped by 300 Fox Way for a bit, both because Opal enjoyed spending so much time there with the ladies of Fox Way, but also because since Adam left for college, since Blue and Henry and Gansey left on their traveling adventures, and since Noah disappeared for good, they were some of the few people left he knew in this town. And they were there for him after his mom passed away, and they were there for him when they all lost Cabeswater.

The women of Fox Way and he had a mutual understanding of pretending to still not stand the other. Calla didn’t have to pretend, though, but the rest were warming up to him, same as he was warming up to them. It was a slow process, and an entire year later he still sometimes proved to be a bit of an asshole, but they made him a birthday cake which was more than he could say for Declan.

Opal made Ronan a birthday gift made of sticks and grass, a little Adam figurine that she thought was _hilarious_. He was to cherish it forever, though, because she made it for him. He wasn’t going to admit that, though.

At some point the three musketeers called from somewhere in South America, on a very terrible connection, to wish him a happy birthday. He thanked them all, and ached for a time when they’d all be together again.

“Soon,” Gansey promised. “During winter break-

“When Adam’s there,” Blue chimed in.

“You’re only coming home to see Adam, is that it?” Ronan asked.

“Yes, correct!” Henry shouted from a distance, far enough from the phone that his voice sounded cracklier than Blue and Gansey’s.

“You assholes,” Ronan said, but he ached for them anyway.

As they headed home to meet up with Matthew to play planned video games and run amuck in the fields, Ronan stopped by the mail at the end of the long driveway into the Barns. Amongst bills and junk, he received Adam’s card, just in time. The outside of it was a cow with a word bubble that said _Holy Cow it’s your birthday!_ On the inside of it a picture slipped out that had been tucked inside, and Ronan grabbed it from his lap to see it was a photo of Adam taken from his camera that Ronan gave him for his birthday, a dream camera that printed pictures and never ran out of battery or film. He was glad Adam was making use of it, but the picture was extremely inappropriate when Opal was sitting in the car right next to him. He was _naked_.

Swiftly, Ronan tucked the picture away in his jacket pocket before opening the card back up. In it was a little poem Adam wrote in his terrible handwriting.

_roses are red_

_violets are blue_

_you’re an idiot_

_but i still tolerate you_

_i love you lynch_

_happy birthday & anniversary_

_i guess i’ll keep you around_

_adam parrish_

As Opal asked to see it and started to pronounce the words out loud, Ronan called Adam up on the short drive from his mailbox to his house. Matthew was already there, waiting on the porch, and Opal jumped out to greet him when she realized. Adam answered after a few more rings, sounding pleased with himself already.

“Got my card?” Adam said. He could picture his grin with his eyes closed, and he sighed.

“You fucking nerd,” Ronan replied. “You signed it with your whole name? What, you think I forgot who my boyfriend was?”

Adam’s laugh traveled from the phone and into his chest, pulling at his heart with each chuckle.

“Had to make sure,” he said, teasingly still laughing low enough Ronan didn’t want to get out of the car. He opened his eyes when he heard Opal squeal, to see Matthew lifting her off the ground as they played airplane. “Did you have a nice birthday?” he asked.

“It’s been alright,” Ronan replied, still watching his brother and the closest thing to a daughter that he had playing together outside. The sun was hanging low just above the roof of the barn as he stepped out of the car, taking his card with him before Opal accidentally ate it. “It would be better with you here, though.”

“Soon,” Adam promised, and he could hear his own wants in his voice. “I’ll be there soon. Happy anniversary and happy birthday, Ronan.”

“Happy anniversary and-“ Ronan almost repeated the whole thing back to him, and he could hear Adam laughing at him through the phone. “Oh, fuck you.”

Adam’s laughter softened after a few more hearty beats. “Did you like the gift?”

“What gift? The photo?” Ronan felt hot in the face again just thinking about it. “That picture should’ve come with a warning label."

“I’m glad you liked it,” Adam said menacingly, “but that’s only part one of the gift. The other part’s in the envelope, shithead,” he then said endearingly. On the other end of the line he heard someone shouting in the distance, and then a collective of voices in response. “I have to go. Class is about to start. I’ll talk to you tonight?”

“Okay.”

After Adam hung up Ronan took out the envelope and tipped it upside down, realizing there was something in there. It came out and fell on the dirt when he did that, and when he bent down to pick it up he almost laughed. It was a condom, with something written on the wrapper in sharpie.

_do not open_ _until october 31st_ _xo_

He texted Adam immediately.

 

( 5:13 pm ) _you fucking asshole_

( 5: 15 pm ) don’t text me while i’m in class 

( 5:15 pm ) <3

 

"Hey, birthday boy," Matthew called out, and Ronan looked up from his phone. "Stop texting your boyfriend and hang out with us."

 

\--------

 

After a long late afternoon of chasing Opal through the tall grass and playing around with the chickens and calves and the family of dream deer that still ventured by from time to time, Matthew left with a hug and Opal fell asleep on the porch.

He tucked her into bed that night with a kiss on the forehead and the hope she slept soundly tonight. She usually did, but there were still off nights when she ran into his room in a sweat, crying about something she dreamt of.

It strangely enough helped when they started decorating the house with Halloween decorations. The spooky things they put up on the walls and shelves didn't hurt her, couldn't hurt her, and her lack of fear for them was in turn helping her overcome her fear of the dream things in their heads.

When she was safely secured under her many blankets, Ronan then went and fed Chainsaw her dinner, before going up onto the roof to stare up at the stars. Adam wasn't here to tell him he was being an idiot, even though he managed to drag him up here a time or two during the hot summer nights where the air was thick and suffocating.

While he was up there, Adam called him again like he said he would, and they talked for hours. Adam said he was outside looking at the stars as well, which made them feel infinitely closer knowing they were looking at the same thing. When he had to hang up he almost cried, but held himself together until he went to his bed to dream.

That night he dreamt of Boston. He dreamt of being in Boston with Adam, of winter nights by a fire and drowning in snow. Of fall leaves blanketing the ground as he sat with him in some park somewhere while Opal ran around chasing birds and squirrels. He dreamt of not just visiting, but living in Boston with Adam and Opal. Of Opal hanging out on campus, of him dropping in to greet Adam at the library during his study breaks, of sleeping in the same bed as Adam every night.

He intended to dream of Adam's Halloween costume that night, but instead woke up with another gift instead.

In the morning, he hid it along with several other variations of it. Ronan wasn’t ready yet to ask him the question that often came attached to the gift. His plan was to ask during Adam’s Christmas break, when he didn’t have any studying to do and they could properly focus on each other, although he almost proposed over the summer, but it hurt too much watching him leave. Now after one semester he was certain he didn’t want to wait another one.

With the drawer still open, Ronan fished around inside it for the first ring he dreamed real, after the first time they had sex, the same night Adam and he first said I love you. The ring was different than the others, and not just because he dreamt it first. It was special, the others feeling more like reminders to ask the question and not other options for the task. This ring had leaves designed from Cabeswater’s memory on the outside, and on the inside in Latin it said _you and i are always._

When he found it under his pillow the morning after their first time together he nearly puked it was so romantic. But now he knew this was the one he’d give to him. But first they had to survive opal’s first Halloween.

 

\----------

 

Lately Ronan busied himself by putting his focus in two places, making sure Opal didn't eat anything she shouldn't and trying to work on waking up the dream cows. After his first minor success he managed another minor one, successful again long enough to get the one cow back in the barn and then watch it go right back to sleep. He learned that when he dreamt with Opal sometimes they could work on things together in the dream that helped him in reality, though she didn’t like dreaming with him often. She still had the nightmares too, but hers were easing same as his.

Even still, Ronan took these minor victories and savored them for what they were. He could feel himself moving towards something great, something wonderful. It was in the way the air felt around him, the way the earth felt under his hands, the way the sun would burst out from behind the clouds.

The closest definition he could think of was simply _hope_.

Oh Halloween afternoon, Ronan made time to drive to the airport to pick Adam up. He and Opal were waiting by baggage claim, albeit Opal was doing so impatiently.

"Where is he? I'm going to miss all the candy," she whined.

"Trick or treating doesn't  start until 7 ," Ronan argued. "You're fine, you gremlin. We have plenty of time- Where are you going?"

Opals was running through the airport towards a lanky boy with a duffel bag swung over his shoulder and a familiar old hoodie zipped all the way up. She bound into Adam's arms, and he caught her before she tripped, bending down to give her a better hug kneeling over.

Seeing him in person was like a breath of fresh air, and Ronan inhaled it in deeply, let the cold air burn his lungs as he breathed. He stared at the two of them, Opal excitedly explaining something and Adam nodding along just as eager. He then lifted his gaze to find Ronan through the small crowd that started to fill in between them, and his smile changed into something Ronan could only describe as charming.

Aware Adam caught him staring, he owed it to move closer to him, desperate to greet him just like Opal did. In an effort to act casual and collected, he sauntered over slowly, and with each small step Adam's smile slipped away.

He frowned at him halfway through and removed a hand from Opal to crook a finger at him, suggesting he walk faster.

"You a slug now, Lynch?" Adam called out. "What’s taking you so long?"

Ronan feigned annoyance but walked faster. When he reached him he barely had time to say hello before Adam grabbed his collar and pulled him into a kiss. Ronan slumped into him at once, aching for this for two months now. Video chats could help ease the ache of distance and loneliness, but they couldn't help ease this. He held Adam gently at his waist as he pushed into him, to feel something solid all around him. Adam kissed him greedily, desperate, like a hungry animal. It came to a point Ronan had to break it off or else he was pretty sure they were about to get arrested at the airport.

"Jesus, Parrish, is that how you say hi now?" he said, breathing hard. He missed him so much, and Adam grinned at his little gasps. He fingered Ronan's lips and then kissed him again, but something far more public appropriate, small and closed mouthed.

"Hi, Lynch," he said. The time they were apart made him touchier, even though he was plenty touchy before. Adam's hands reached down for his and held them with such a gentle grip Ronan kissed him again just because he didn't know what else to say to that. He could get lost in his kisses, each one unique but familiar, these definitely different in the way they came from longing. For as far back as he knew Adam, he couldn't remember them ever not being around each other for two straight months before. He didn't like the idea of doing it again.

Adam swept his tongue across Ronan's lower lip before going in again, and suddenly there was no one else at the airport but them.

There was a tug at his pants leg, proving Ronan's brief fantasy inaccurate.

"Okay, let’s go!" Opal exclaimed. She didn't wait for them to stop kissing before she barreled through the airport again back toward the exit. "Halloween! Wee!"

Adam turned to Ronan with a single brow from his concern.

"Have you already started giving her sugar?" he asked.

"No, this is just her natural state now," Ronan replied.

"Oh, great," Adam said with heavy sarcasm. Ronan rocked his hip into Adam's as they walked, forcing him to laugh. "Asshole, I missed you."

"I noticed."

Adam rolled his eyes, but couldn't make his smile go away.

 

\------

 

On the drive home, it was like Adam was the one who ate sugar, because he couldn't stop talking. His Henrietta accent was all the way out as he talked Ronan's eager ear off about school and his new friends and the life he was building at Harvard. Ronan heard about all of it before, but Adam had saved some stories for when they saw each other in person, which Ronan found kind of dorky and perfect. He was so happy Adam was happy, that he was excited to be back even for a day or so, enough that he didn't stop talking. Ronan didn't understand half of what he was saying when he started going off about school and his assignments, but it didn't matter. It was the way he said it, all smiles and his accent thick enough it was doing Ronan's head in. He watched him out of the corner of his eyes for most of the drive, sitting there facing him with one hand waving around as he talked and the other interlaced with his on the gear shift.

At some point when they were close to the house, Opal interrupted him. She leaned forward between the two front seats, terrible about putting her seatbelt on.

"Does Halloween have presents?" she asked.

"Hey! Where's your seatbelt?" Ronan started in surprised. He hadn't realized she undid it.

"Opal, put your seatbelt on," Adam added, and he undid his to help her out. Ronan opened his mouth to remark how dangerous that was, but caught himself when Adam flashed him a look that said keep your eyes on the road. So he did.

Glancing into the rear view mirror he watched Adam helping her, seating her in the center and buckling her in despite her squirming.

"You get candy, Opal, isn’t that enough?" Ronan called out.

She shrugged as Adam finalized the belt situation and moved forward to sit back down in his seat.

"I guess," she said. "Can I eat the wrappers, too?"

He and Adam exchanged a look, uncertain of the answer. "Uh... I mean, she ate a soda can once?" Adam pointed out.

"Don't remind me," Ronan groaned. He then looked again at Opal through the mirror. She was biting at her seatbelt, but stopped when they made eye contact. It fell from her mouth as she then pouted, making a big deal of it by folding her arms across her chest. He felt like lately he was dealing with the terrible twos, only she was he estimated six. "We’ll see, Opal," he said.

Adam's hand found his on the gear shift again, and he played with his fingers in a very dangerous way when Ronan was meant to be focused on the road. His fingers trailed over his knuckles with a feather light touch, moving along to the spaces between his fingers, which gripped harder on the metal handle. He kneaded the tip of his thumb into the space of skin between Ronan's thumb and forefinger, and then picked up his hand by his wrist to flip it over, so his hand could melt against Ronan's, palm to palm.

When he stole a look in his direction, Adam was smiling while staring pointedly out his side window.

It was these little things that made up his relationship with Adam, knowing each other's bodies as well as their brains and their hearts. He gnawed on the edge of his lower lip as he picked up speed down the highway.

 

\----------

 

The Barns were decorated both inside and out for Halloween, which seemed to surprise Adam upon driving in. He clearly didn't expect it and was shocked by the sight.

As Adam grabbed his duffel bag from the backseat he looked over the hood at Ronan and shook his head in disbelief.

"You have too much time on your hands these days, Lynch," he said, lighthearted teasing at its best.

"It was a tradition once upon a time," Ronan replied, and he walked fast around the BMW to grab at Adam's hand.

The decorations were old dream things from his youth, wind up spiders that would crawl, bats that squeaked and flapped their wings, spider webs that didn't get caught in your hair or your clothes if you accidentally walked into them. The porch was lined in jack o lanterns that never rotted, and never burned out the whole month of October. These little things made the house extra special, things he was excited to share with Adam and Opal.

The moment he unlocked the front door Opal ran up the stairs to likely go change. He hadn't shown Adam yet what it was Opal was dressing as for Halloween. She was still going as Adam, but what that meant was still a surprise.

"Is she still being me for Halloween?" Adam asked reluctantly. He dropped his bag off by the door so both his hands were free to hold Ronan at the waist.

"Yeah," he answered, and while he laughed Adam frowned. "I can’t wait for you to see it."

"I don’t think I’m going to like this," Adam said. "You have that mischievous look in your eye you get before you do something illegal or stupid."

Fixing his face, Ronan rolled his eyes and tried to think of something clever to say back. Before he could, Adam had his arms wrapped around his waist and was pressing his face gently into the side of Ronan's, almost like silently requesting for this kiss rather than taking what he wanted. Ronan didn't mind when he did the latter, but the former almost startled him still.

He turned his head and stepped into Adam's arms, kissing him softly and slowly. He could take his time with this, knowing Opal probably got distracted with a toy upstairs or something. Unlike the ravenous approach at the airport, this was subtler, gentler. A greeting, and not a lead in to something more. Adam's lips tasted like the juice he probably had on the plane, a faint taste combined with the familiar one of Adam. He inclined into his front until they were pressed tight, his hands finding their way to each other at the small of his back.

Adam sighed, and insisted for more, but Ronan was waiting for the heavy stuff after Opal went to bed.

He broke the kiss but remained held close, using his lips instead to kiss along Adam's jawline. He didn't shave this morning, so there was stubble chafing his lips.

"Show me what you’re dressing up as," Adam insisted, and he nudged at Ronan's waist to move to change. Other than that, though, there was no resistance to Ronan's lips gliding along his skin, trailing under his chin to the other side of his neck.

"Mmm, no," he said. He was reluctant to show him, because he knew Adam was going to laugh regardless. Better laugh when Opal could serve as distraction than when she wasn't.

"You’ll have to show me eventually," Adam reasoned, and he tilted toward Ronan's mouth and tried to snag it back with a bite to his lower lip. Ronan protested by moving his mouth further down Adam's threat. Adam grunted, agitated by the resistance. "Or, what, are you going to blindfold me the whole night?"

"That sounds like fun," Ronan said, chuckling against the incline in Adam's throat. He groaned again against his mouth and pushed at his shoulder. Ronan finally got the message and pulled off him,watching Adam roll his eyes while a blush was fading from his skin.

"Okay," he said, touching at where it had crept at Adam's ear, "but don’t laugh at the costumes. They were Opal’s idea, and you didn’t come up with anything better."

"I told you I was fine with whatever you chose," Adam replied. His brow then folded in suspicion. "Why? What did you choose?"

"Don’t look at me like that," Ronan said, furrowing his brow back at him. "I told you, Opal picked it out. Hold on."

He left to change into his costume, and upstairs he paused at Opal's room first to check she was even doing anything. She was sitting on her canopy bed playing on her tablet, like a true child of the 21st century.

"Hey," he said, and he pointed at her then at her costume hanging in her closet. She barely looked up from her game to acknowledge him. "You're going to miss the trick or treating if you just stay up here all night."

Opal balked and jumped off the bed immediately, her hooves loud even as they landed on the rug.

It didn't take long after that for Ronan to change into his costume. He dreamt it so it would be easy in and out, not in the mood to spend forever changing. He walked back downstairs even before Opal, who likely got sucked back into her game again. He should never have caved to her request and bought her that fucking thing.

Adam was in the kitchen looking through the fridge. He was bent over checking out the lower shelves, and Ronan took a moment to stand there quietly in the archway to admire the view.

"God, you have nothing in here to eat," Adam whined.

"I have a stocked fridge, you freak," Ronan replied, and Adam jolted at the sound of his voice and nearly banged his head shooting out of the fridge. "You're just lazy to cook anything."

"Cook me something, Ly-"

Adam whirled around as the door shut behind him, and then he was standing there frozen in surprise at Ronan's costume. His eyes raked over his whole body, and then he burst with laughter.

Ronan glared.

"You're joking," he said. 

Ronan's hand ran down the front of his top, which had fake hair coming out at the top like heavy duty chest hair. He dreamt it so it would be comfortable and not suffocating or overly hot. He was dressed as a werewolf, with a fake snout that stuck to his face without trouble and ears and a tail and everything.

"Hey," he said, not liking where this had gone. It barely took Adam any time to start making fun of him again. "I worked hard on this costume."

Adam crowded him and started to experimentally touch at his chest, fingers twisting in the fake fur.

"You dreamt it, you didn’t sew it," he countered.

"Wow, so mean." Ronan grumbled selective curses even as Adam's hands were feeling his fake chest up. He almost made a very inappropriate joke at Adam's expense, but thought better of it when he saw his smile split his lips.

"Mm, you still love me though," Adam regarded, and he then pushed up Ronan's snout a little.

"No, I think this was the deal breaker," Ronan replied, helping him with the situation when it became obvious why he was doing it. "Making fun of my Halloween costume. It’s over, Parrish."

"We had a good run," Adam concurred. He then flashed a smile before kissing Ronan again. The kiss hardly lasted a few seconds before he jerked back and spit out a couple strands of fake fur. Realizing it got into Adam's mouth, Ronan looked on with mild disappointment.

"I didn’t think about that when I dreamt this," he confessed.

It was somewhat amusing to watch Adam pick the hair off his tongue, although Ronan still wished he thought of that when he dreamt this. They weren't going to be able to make out until the night was over, which wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either.

"Here," he said, starting to pull the snout off completely. "I’ll take the face mask off."

"No no." Adam helped him put the snout back on. "Keep it on," he said. "Are we eating before we go out?" He said this even as he still plucked more hair out. How much got into his mouth, Ronan wondered. Again, another terrible joke came to mind.

"No, I figured we'll have dinner after," he said, and he touched at Adam's stomach wondering when last he ate and if it fulfilled him enough. He supposed he could feed him candy if it came down to it. Where they were going tonight there was expected to be a lot of it. "Which reminds me," he said, as Adam finally stopped fussing with his mouth. His exaggeration was over. "You should get dressed."

Adam's attention perked up. "What did you dream for me?" he asked gleefully.

His glee evaporated as soon as he discovered his own costume, a vampire.

"You dick," he exclaimed. "Let's trade."

"Too late." Ronan beamed at him as he openly glared. Adam was reacting more vexed about the whole thing than Ronan anticipated, but it was starting to show its humor to him, how absurd Adam was but how aggressively and yet docilely he took the costume from Ronan's offered hand. "I told you, it was Opal's idea. We've been watching classic monster movies this month and she like these two."

Adam didn't look to believe him, which was fine, because he knew it to be true. If it were up to him and him alone he would've picked very different costumes.

Speaking of the gremlin, he heard her hooves clanking on the hardwood staircase as she descended down towards them. He walked out from the kitchen to the hall to find her standing at the foot of the stairs decoratively showcasing her costume with hands at her hips.

Ronan quickly darted his gaze to Adam to watch his reaction in real time, as he came to be aware of what Opal was wearing. She had on faded jeans and a Coca Cola tee, and Adam immediately turned to him to glare.

"It was one time!" Adam pinched at the bridge of his nose as Ronan began to laugh. He looked pained at the sight of Opal's costume, which was sort of the point. "I don't even own that shirt anymore," he grumbled.

"Okay, Opal," he said, and he looked to her shining little face. He waved a hand for her to go back upstairs. "Put the real costume on now. He's had enough."

"Okay," she said.

"You freaking asshole!" There was a hard shove at Ronan's shoulder, and he was quick to catch Adam's hand before it moved from him. He held it in both of his, not yet wearing the gloves he had to go with the costume, designed to look like paws. He raised his hand to his lips, and then kissed along the knuckles with a low laugh.

"You can't say fuck in front of her but still manage to say asshole?" Ronan mused.

"Fuck you," Adam hissed, no heat behind the words. His words wavered as he quivered from Ronan's lips on his hand, kissing at the wrist bone with his hand turned right side up. He smirked up at him before releasing it, watching Adam stretch his fingers once they were free, likely to rid them of the tingle he said he felt when he did that.

"Well she's gone upstairs now, that doesn't-"

And Adam was kissing him again. Like a fire had been set under him, he jumped at Ronan and kissed him fiercely. Oh how Ronan missed this. Just being near him and holding him and breathing him in. He smelled like the lotion Ronan dreamt him. Since his hand lotion was so successful he dreamt him lotion for his entire body, and Adam asked that to be his anniversary gift as he was running low. He called him a nerd, but did as requested. Adam felt smoother under his hands as they ventured just under his shirt and hoodie.

When he stepped back after what felt like a while, Ronan was left dizzy. He staggered a step to his right, still clutching onto Adam's waist as he moved.

"Jesus, Parrish," he replied.

"I've missed you," Adam said, like he were answering an unasked question as to what got into him.

"I've missed you too," Ronan said, and he moved for another kiss, but Adam shook his head and fixed his snout. "How long are you here for this time?"

Adam shrugged, looking to be thinking on the answer. Ronan hadn't gotten him his return ticket yet because he didn't tell him when he was going home.

"Thursday evening," Adam suggested. "My classes tomorrow and Thursday are elective attendance."

"Parrish, are you willingly not attending classes?" He at once started to feel around Adam's person in feigned frantic motions. "Have you been body-swapped?" he asked.

"Jackass, no," Adam said, snickering as he squirmed under his touch. He shoved his hands away as Ronan kept coming back to feel around him. His laugh was a drink that Ronan would willingly drown himself in. Eventually Adam caught Ronan's hands in his, and still laughing he did nothing with them, just held them close to his chest. His smile was so simple but so genuine. It almost made Ronan ache in delight "It's just lab time, really to study in preparation for midterms, and I don't need to study in a classroom for that." He wrinkled his nose in detest. Ronan was aware of Adam's need for no distractions, which is why he liked the library most of all, because often everyone there was studying too. He now could see why he brought his big duffel bag and not his small one.

"If you brought books and homework on this trip-" he started, and Adam rolled his eyes.

"You get what you get and be happy about it," he replied. He ended the statement with a peck to Ronan's fake nose. "I've been doing really well this semester so far, so I'm allowed one impromptu mini trip with my boyfriend and his dream daughter."

Ronan scoffed, for multiple reasons. He squeezed Adam's hands, thumbing the center of his palms. "She's no dream," he remarked. "She is a pain in the ass to take care of."

"I heard that!" Opal shouted at the top of the stairs.

He turned in time to grin at her as she was walking down, and she grinned back. It was then Adam noticed her approach, and Ronan watched him for his reaction again. He managed to catch him falter, his hands slipping out of Ronan's. In the quiet, he stared, with his mouth held open just a little. Opal had messed her hair up much in the way Adam's always was, and she drew freckles on her face. She had on the overalls they picked out together and the white tee underneath with grease stains they painted on with washable paint. In her hand was a book about space.

"I'm you!" she said proudly.

Adam choked out a breath that was meant to be words and he turned to Ronan, and only then did he notice there were tears welling up in his eyes. Ronan half expected him to laugh or slap at his shoulder again, but he didn't. He was moved, and Ronan took no credit in that. It was Opal's idea through and through. She loved him very much.

Ronan caught a tear as it fell down Adam's cheek and swept it away with the brush of his thumb.

"You bastard," Adam said low, gaze drifting back to Opal who was nearly finished descending the stairs.

"Hey, I'm only the one who thought of the freckles," he said.

Slowly Adam moved into him, and allowed himself to be swallowed up in a hug. Ronan pressed his face against the side of Adam's best he could with his costume on, as Adam tucked his head into Ronan's shoulder. Ronan kissed him on his forehead, and then looked to see Opal still standing by the stairs. She appeared confused, touching at her costume.

"Does he not like it?"

Adam moved to look at her and answer the question himself. He was smiling.

"No, I love it, Opal," he said.

He went and hugged her, too, kissing her on the cheek again and again. She grinned and giggled as she playfully protested his affection.

"Okay!" she said. "Okay, okay. Candy time! Wait, where's your costume?"

Adam looked back over his shoulder at Ronan and glared.

 

\--------

 

Adam as a vampire was kind of hot. Ronan wasn't someone who managed to avoid the vampire trend back in his younger years, and admittedly this was kind of bringing something back.

He had the fangs that Ronan dreamt, the black silk cloak with red lining, along with a white blouse and tight black pants that may or may not have been dreamt to be just a little too tight on purpose. There was fake blood stained at the edge of Adam's lips, and for some reason that detail alone made him look extremely kissable.

"Don't even think about it, dog boy," Adam said, knowing Ronan's looks by heart by now to be able to decipher this one.

Ronan pouted at him. "Thought you loved dogs," he said.

Adam rolled his eyes.

Aurora would approve of tonight, as they went trick or treating in the same Henrietta neighborhood he did as a kid with her. Singer's Falls wasn't exactly the best place to trick or treat because the houses were so far apart from each other it would've made it impossible to walk between them. Here, it was easy, in a neighborhood decorated for the holiday. Fake ghouls sat on lawns, orange and purple lights flashed on the lining of roofs, and pumpkins stared at them with their goofy smiles. It was the idyllic setting for Opal's first Halloween, and she was having a blast, running along the sidewalk as they walked between the houses, the neighborhood a cluster of kids in their costumes.

At some point they ran into others with kids and reluctantly joined them as Opal joined in with the children like a moth to a flame. She was eager to run with them to the next house, which had a fake cemetery on their front lawn.

"Do you think it's such a good idea?" Adam whispered close, holding Ronan's paw-hand as they walked. They waited near the other adults, the youngest of the group, as Opal chimed in with her "trick or treat!" like all the other kids. "Her legs," Adam noted, as Opal ran back towards them with a little bit of a wobble.

It wasn't like Ronan didn't sometimes worry what other kids would say about her legs if they ever found out, but it wasn't something he could change, something he would even want to change. It made Opal who she was, and she was wonderful because of these things that all added up to make her. Opal had no problem making friends with the other kids as they all walked along to the next house, better at it than he and Adam were. He shrugged at Adam's question, aware it came from a loving place, but not interested in discussing it tonight.

"What about them?" he said. "They're her legs."

Adam hesitated to say anything else, and after the next house was extorted for candy, he closed his mouth and said nothing, only holding Ronan's hand.

"She'll be fine," Ronan added, hyper aware of Opal's differences.

"I know," Adam said. "I just..."

"Worry," Ronan finished for him. "I get it. But she'll be fine."

They looked at each other as they passed under a street lamp, and silently made a pact not to talk about it again for the rest of the night.

It was easy for Opal to follow along with what the other kids did. The smiles as they raised their bags and exclaimed trick or treat! The gratitude given when they received a piece or two. She ate a piece of candy with the wrapper on it, and a another kid excitedly shouted gross! at her, but her giggles masked what she witnessed, and Adam held Ronan's hand a little tighter.

As the sun progressed to fully set, Opal's bag grew heavier same as the others', but her attitude perked up higher due to the ingestion of sugar. Already Ronan could see it was going to be a long night.

Several people complimented Adam and Ronan on their costumes, which Ronan accepted with a smirk flashed at Adam under his snout. Adam elbowed him several times until finally Ronan stopped looking so smug at the compliment.

At some point they ran into a familiar couple to Ronan, though Adam hadn't met them before yet.

"Ronan!" Jo exclaimed, dressed like Peter Pan while her wife, Anne, was Wendy. Their daughter, Dahlia was already on her way to say hi to Opal, dressed as Tinkerbell. Ronan met the couple through the Fox Way women while trying to get Opal play dates, after he was berated about the fact she was only interacting with adults and adult-aged children like Ronan. Orla's words.

"Hi, Jo," Ronan said, and Adam's brow raised.

"No sarcastic comment or rude gesture?" Adam gaped. "Lynch, I'm shocked."

"I'll give you a rude gesture..." Ronan offered, and Adam elbowed him again.

Anne and Jo were very nice, and they stopped in front of the same house, Opal and Dahlia skipping to the door together down the walkway.

"Who's this-? Oh wow, is this the infamous Adam Parrish we hear so much about?"

Ronan was thankful his mask covered most of his face, because undoubtedly he was blushing as he glared Jo into amused silence.

"Oh, really?" Adam said, glancing in his direction before offering Jo and Anne his hand. "Yes, I suppose that's me."

"We thought you were a myth, to be honest," Anne said. "Hard to believe Ronan even has a daughter, much less a Harvard guy."

"Yeah, we made a bet you were actually a cardboard cutout or something. You're not a paid actor, are you?"

They got along well because they, too, were the same breed of asshole Ronan was.

Adam snorted a laugh and looked at Ronan again, longer this time. His hand moved from Ronan's to touch at the cheek of Ronan's face mask.

"Anne, I'm going to murder your wife," Ronan muttered.

"Good luck with that," said Jo with a challenging smirk.

“I like you,” Adam said, and he smiled at Ronan in a way that made him feel flustered amidst all his displeasure. He shyly massaged at the back of his neck as he ducked his head.

As they continued talking and teasing, Adam’s arm slid in around Ronan’s waist, pulling him closer to him. Around them, Opal and Dahlia chased each other, eating pieces of candy and showing no signs of slowing down.

“It’s so sweet of you to come back for Opal’s Halloween,” Anne said, after Adam explained what he was doing back already. “It’s great to make memories with her at this age. They won’t be this young forever.”

In reality, Ronan and Adam weren’t sure how long Opal was going to be this young, but the sentiment rang true regardless. These were new memories they were making tonight, ones she was going to have forever.

“So what is she supposed to be exactly?” Jo asked, awkward about it as if she was expected to already get it.

“Oh,” and Ronan smirked at Adam as he already felt him slinking out from under his arm. “She’s supposed to be Adam,” he said. “He used to work at Boyd’s a lot, and that was sort of his work uniform.”

Pink dusted Adam’s freckled face as he angrily stared at him with his hooded eyes. Ronan nuzzled his snout against Adam’s cheek, who protested with a small push away of his face.

“Oh my god that’s adorable,” Anne practically screeched. “Adorable and evil.” She slapped at Ronan’s shoulder.

“I agree,” Adam replied.

“Where did you get your costumes, by the way? They’re amazingly detailed,” asked Jo, feeling the fake fur at Ronan’s shoulder.

“Ronan made them,” Adam said.

“Oh shit, Ronan. You never told us you could sew.”

“He can cook, too,” Adam said, just to make Ronan squirm, and he did.

He shot him a glare as Adam smiled winningly in his direction.

“Jo can’t cook,” Anne said. “She can make toast, that’s about it.”

“Parrish burns his toast half the time,” Ronan replied.

“Hey,” Adam pouted. “Your toaster is very confusing, okay? It is not a normal toaster.”

“I’ve never burned my toast using it,” Ronan reflected. “It’s okay to admit you’re not good at one thing.”

Adam scowled at him, and Ronan warmed a smile for him, really regretting the snout idea because he wanted to kiss him instead.

After a while longer of talking, moving the conversation so Opal and Dahlia could hit more houses, it became time to depart.

“We’ll see you next week for Dahlia's tea party thing, right?” Jo asked, and Ronan nodded.

“Yeah,” he said, uncertain of when this became his life, making playdate plans for Opal. “Opal's excited to go.”

“Great!” said Anne. “See you then! Nice to meet you, Adam.”

“We much prefer you to Lynch here,” Jo joked, and Ronan rolled his eyes.

“I get that a lot,” Adam said, playing along.

“When did I become the butt of the joke?” Ronan frowned.

“Oh, Lynch,” Adam said affectionately, and he patted his cheek like the lovable dick that he was.

As they separated, Adam and Ronan lingered behind with Opal, watching the other couple walk away with their less magical child. Adam then smirked over at Ronan as soon as they were out of earshot.

“You were so nice to them,” he said, shocked by the fact.

“Yeah, well their kid and Opal get along,” he said. “I don't want to jinx it.”

“They were funny,” said Adam.

“You say that because they weren’t picking on you,” Ronan grumbled.

“Aw, you big baby.” Adam nuzzled his face into the crook of Ronan’s neck, and then left a small kiss there as he pulled back. “Mm,” he smiled, thumbing the edge of Ronan’s mask. “Want to head out? It's nine, and I think Opal's gotten enough candy she's going to be hyper for days.”

But when they looked to her she’d already crashed half asleep on the sidewalk. Ronan moved fast to scoop her up from the ground to carry her to the car. They walked back the direction they came and found the BMW a couple blocks away. The night was still young for older kids trick or treating, but for Opal it was bedtime, after filling her bag with enough candy she was going to be unbearably perky for a week. Ronan set her down in the back and buckled her in, then went to get into the driver’s seat and turned the car’s heating on. Before pulling away, he peeled his face mask off, glad he dreamed it so that the glue didn’t hurt when he did.

Adam found his lips in the dark, eager to kiss him as soon as his mouth was freed. Ronan leaned over the gear shift to finger Adam’s hair, messing it up just the way he liked it.

On the drive home, Adam found his hand and held it tightly.

 

\----------

 

Tucking Opal into bed that night was a challenge. She woke up and fussed as Ronan tried to clean her face of the freckles and fake grease she put on herself, and as Adam tried to put her pajamas on. She begged for more candy, which they both protested, and then tried to throw a tantrum about how unfair they were being.

Eventually they managed to get her to go to sleep with the promise of candy tomorrow, but she still didn’t look too pleased about it. She insisted Adam stay with her until she fell asleep, which he did only because he was easily persuaded by her big blue eyes.

As Adam stayed in her room a little while longer, Ronan cooked something quick for him, knowing how hungry he must be after eating college cafeteria food for two months straight.

When he came downstairs, dinner was already set out in the living room for him, reheated spaghetti from a couple nights ago. Adam happily collapsed onto the sofa with Ronan and ate it in silence. Adam was still in his costume, save for the fangs and cape, which he’d already taken off sometime between Opal’s room and here. Ronan managed to change out of his costume while waiting for the food to cook, and was now resting behind Adam in a loose shirt and sweats, wondering how Adam looked so comfortable in visibly uncomfortable clothes.

He kissed the top of Adam’s head as Adam ate pressed against him, holding the bowl his lap as Ronan’s arm draped over his shoulders. He watched Adam eat, himself not hungry after the heavy lunch he made for him and Opal, and he wondered how in the world he lucked out like this.

“I wish you could send me this in the mail,” Adam said, talking with his mouth still full. Ronan didn’t even care. It’s not like he had the best eating manners either.

“I can give you some to take on the plane back,” Ronan replied, and he kissed at Adam’s hairline again just because he could. Adam shivered under him from the soft touching, and ate another bite of his food.

“Would they let me bring it?” Adam asked. His brow furrowed as he took his phone and started searching the web one-handed.

“I don’t see why not.” But Adam wasn’t listening anymore. He was solely focused with his research, and Ronan was satisfied enough with trailing his kisses down Adam’s neck as he ate.

Really, he was putting off asking something that had been sitting in the back of his mind all day. Just thinking about it gave him a pinch in his chest and a growl in his stomach as his hands felt around Adam’s waist instead of his shoulder. The question still sat as Adam researched to his satisfaction and grinned with glee that he could possibly bring some food back to school with him, and long after he finished eating the whole bowl and downing a whole glass of water after it. The question festered in his brain as Adam looked to fall asleep against his chest, eyes closed, breath soft, hand loosening its grip at Ronan’s shirt.

Ronan’s hand stopped playing with Adam’s waist, and that’s when Adam’s eyes opened.

“You're usually twitchy for a reason, Lynch,” he sighed. “What is it?”

With a deep breath, Ronan looked down at Adam, who was already staring up at him. His blue eyes were potent even in the dark like this. Before he talked, he kissed him, tasting the garlic in his breath and finding it ironic he was still in his vampire costume.

“What do you think about me and Opal moving closer to you and school?” he asked against his lips.

Adam lifted his head in surprise. “You don’t have to do that,” he said.

“I know, but I want to.” Ronan kissed him again. “The Barns will still be here, and I can still try to solve the mystery of the sleeping dream things, but I want to be closer to you when I do it.” Ronan could feel his racing heart as their chests were pressed together. He hoped it was racing from the thrill of the prospect of living together again, and not the fear of how to say no. “Maybe not now. Maybe in the summer or something, but I just don’t see the point in staying in Virginia when I could be there with you. I can still work on the dream things problem there, and come back here when I need. I love being a farmer, but I don't _have_ to do that here.”

Adam pondered on the question by way of his lower lip. His eyes drifted off to an unknown place, staring heavily into the hem of Ronan's shirt. When he looked up, Ronan felt he already knew the answer, and relief washed over him like a hot shower.

“It’d be nice having you around,” he confessed, “although maybe not for my studying.”

Ronan snorted a laugh against the side of Adam’s forehead, kissing there before Adam pulled his head back to look at him again.

“You’re serious?” Adam confirmed.

“As a heart attack,” said Ronan.

Adam kissed him like a strike of lightning, fast and dangerous and completely out of nowhere. Ronan was definitely awake now, returning the kiss to the point he nudged him to lay back, stretching out on the sofa to make use of it.

“I love you,” Adam said, his hands slipping up and under Ronan’s shirt at the back.

“I love you, too,” said Ronan.

And as they walked together upstairs to celebrate using the birthday gift Adam gave him, Ronan pondered on the fact that a year ago he wasn't thinking of his future like this. He was working toward the next day, next hour, next minute.

Now here he was planning his life with Adam, his future with Adam. The asshole rubbed off on him, giving him these goals and aspirations. Propose in December. Move in June. Marry maybe in August, if Adam said yes to it. Be happy forever.

This was the life he always wanted but didn't allow himself to dream of for so long, and now it was here and it was real, and Ronan wasn't going to ever let it go.

Adam was his home, and he would follow him anywhere.

**Author's Note:**

> hi thanks for reading! if you enjoyed it please leave kudos and comments <3  
> you can find me on [tumblr](http://www.cabeswatergreywaren.tumblr.com) and twitter
> 
> hope you enjoyed jo and anne


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